


Coming Out

by akhikaru



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Coming Out, M/M, Meeting the Parents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-01
Updated: 2015-05-01
Packaged: 2019-05-21 17:11:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14919498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akhikaru/pseuds/akhikaru
Summary: Sho talked more than he should during a family dinner. Now there was no option but to tell the truth.





	Coming Out

**Author's Note:**

> Written for an anon meme.

Sakurai Sho's life was nice. Being one fifth of Japan's top male idol group of the moment meant he had many of the things that average people could only dream of having. He had fame, good looks (at least better than the average, he assumed), a stable income (way more than minimal wages), a job he enjoyed and felt proud of doing (just this was more than many people his age had, so he considered himself lucky), and an excellent team of co-workers by his side, extending not only to the other four members of Arashi but to all the ones involved in the production of their shows, CDs, concerts, etc. These people he had come to love and respect like his own family.

_Family…_

No, thinking about it, comparing them to his family would be way wrong.

Way too wrong…

"Last week Ishida-san proposed to me."

Sho nearly dropped his chopsticks after hearing the innocent announcement his sister, Mai, made during their—mandatory—monthly familiar dinner. The other three members of his family didn't bat an eye. It was obvious that they knew it beforehand, and that the only one who was still ignorant of this information was him. He could feel the reproachful looks on him, but he didn't budge. It wasn't his fault that he had been working from sunrise to midnight every single day during the last month, which didn't leave him too much room to catch up with the most recent events in his family circle. They didn't even call him, how was he supposed to know?

"Why hadn't you told me before?" Sho used his best whiny tone coupled with a pout as he nudged Mai. "Your old nii-chan doesn't deserve a little call, eh?"

"Sorry!" Mai giggled. "I was hoping to tell you face to face so that I could see your reaction!"

"Well, I'm happy for you!" Sho smiled sincerely. "Ishida-kun is a very respectable guy. I know he will take good care of you. Congratulations!"

If that had just been it, Sho would have been satisfied. However, he knew the topic wouldn't be dropped so lightly, oh no. Not in this family.

"Isn't it great? Our little Mai has grown up and will form her own family," his father started.

"It is," Sho said, knowing exactly where that was going.

"Ishida-san said that they want to have children in a year or so."

"Oh, is that so?"

"We're very excited that we'll _finally_ have grandchildren," his father continued. Sho pursed his lips to avoid making a remark he could regret later. "I always expected it'd be our _eldest_ child who would marry first though."

There it was. Sho scowled at the man who continued eating in silence, as though he hadn't just made the precise comment Sho hated the most.

"It's a pity things didn't go as you planned," Sho said, knowing well it was risky to talk in that way to his father. 

Sho's father glared at him. "Yes, things have definitely not gone as planned with you." 

Sho snorted. He knew his parents hadn't accepted his decision to remain in Johnny's very well, and even though now things had changed—it had required a lot of effort on his side—the topic would resurface every time they talked about his lack of a wife.

"You know Sho works very hard," Sho's mother intervened. "He doesn't have much time for anything else!"

"Yes, but…" Sho's father sighed. "At least he should let us arrange an omiai for him!"

"I don't want an omiai!" Sho said. "If I ever get married, I want it to be with someone I choose! We've talked about this already!"

"Then get a girlfriend!" Sho's father said. "Go out, find someone and have a relationship!"

_A girlfriend?_ If only his father knew how impossible that was. Not only because of his fans, but also because of his personal preferences. He was gay, and, as a matter of fact, in a happy relationship for almost a year already. But his parents weren't ready to know that. Maybe they'd never be, and that's why he had discussed it with his partner, both reaching the conclusion that it was better to keep mum about this topic.

But that night was different.

That night his mouth was moving on its own.

And that's why the next thing that came out of it was: "I already have someone, okay! We've been together since last year!" making the four people sitting with him stare with their eyes widened in shock.

"Is that so?" Sho's mother was the first one who spoke.

"Y-Yes…" Sho blushed hard. "I do have someone."

"Wonderful!" Sho's father grinned. "But how come we don't know her yet?"

"Umm…" Sho bit his lip. How to tell them that they already knew the person he loved the most in the world? How to explain that it wasn't a _she,_ that it was a _he_? "I… I haven't found a proper timing…"

"And why is that?"

"Work," Sho blurted out.

"Is she a workaholic like you?" Mai asked.

"Yes…" Sho mumbled. It wasn't entirely a lie. His partner did prioritize work over everything else just like him.

"Ah, as expected!" Mai laughed. "I always thought you'd end up with someone like that!"

"You should bring her to dinner next week," Sho's mother said. His father nodded in agreement.

"Right… sure…" Sho forced a smile.

He was doomed. He was so doomed.

 

"You did what!?"

Jun couldn't believe his own ears when Sho told him about what happened during that family dinner. They had an agreement. No one, not even the rest of Arashi, was supposed to find out about this _thing_ going on between them, at least not until they were sure it would last.

"I'm sorry." Sho lowered his head. "It just… I don't know why I said it!"

"I thought we agreed that this would be our secret!"

"I know, I know!" Sho sighed. "But what do you want me to do!? We knew the time to tell people would come sooner or later, and that time happens to be now!"

Jun shook his head, looking at the man in front of him in disbelief. They had started seeing each other every now and then since their tenth anniversary tour. Sho had just gone through a horrible break-up, and Jun happened to be the only person around at the moment to help him get over it. He couldn't ignore a friend in need after all, and he also couldn't stand seeing someone whom he once idolized suffering like that. One night Sho made a move on him, and that was enough to make him run away. That was not supposed to happen. As far as he knew Sho was straight, and Jun didn't want him to make a mistake because of his pain.

However, Sho continued trying to get closer to him, coming up with the most ridiculous excuses to see him. He even accepted to attend Lady Gaga's concert with Jun despite not being that much of a fan. And after years of dinner invitations, concert dates, meeting at the cinema to watch the latest releases, Jun realized that maybe Sho actually liked him. It took a lot of courage to go and ask him out _for real_ though. He was glad he did it. That past year had been perfect. He didn't know whether they covered their relationship enough in public to avoid anyone guessing—he caught Nino giving them weird stares once or twice—but so far things had gone smoothly.

Until Sho opened his big mouth, that was.

Jun let out a deep sigh. "Are you sure about doing this? Your parents have no idea that you're in a relationship with a man!"

Sho slumped on the couch. That was true. "Then I'll come out to them."

"Eh? Y-You will…!?"

Sho shrugged. "It's about time they know I won't be giving them grandchildren so that they stop nagging me about getting a wife."

Jun stood there nervously. Of course, he wanted Sho's family to acknowledge him and their relationship. But what if they didn't accept them? What if they hated Jun? Sho noticed and pulled him by his hand, making him sit in the space next to him.

"It'll be fine," Sho said. "They are going to love you."

"How do you know?"

"Because you're _my_ Jun," Sho said. "You're the most amazing, beautiful and caring boyfriend ever. They'd have to be dumb to not see it!"

Jun blushed. Sho always managed to say the right thing at the right moment. He stared into Sho's brown eyes and felt reassured. With a deep breath, he finally replied: "so… what should I wear when we go to meet your parents?"

Sho grinned widely and enveloped him in a hug.

Things would go well if they were together in this. He was 100% sure.

 

"Nii-chan, you're here!" Mai welcomed Sho with a smile on her face. She kept looking over his shoulder though, and her smile faltered when she noticed he was alone. "Umm, but… where is your girlfriend?"

Sho rolled his eyes. "Had a meeting. Don't worry, in one hour or so it should be over so…"

"Sho, there you are!" Sho's mother appeared out of nowhere grinning widely. "Where is your girlfriend?"

"Working!" Mai replied. "Reminds you of someone, right?"

"Hmm…" Sho's mother narrowed her eyes. She suspected there was something Sho wasn't telling them about that mysterious lover of his. "What's her field of work?"

"Entertainment," Sho replied.

"Like you?" Mai raised an eyebrow. "Oh, don't tell me…! It's a celebrity?"

"Y-Yes…" Sho nodded.

"That explains why you hadn't told us!" Mai said. "Say, have we seen you together on TV?"

"All the time…" Sho said through gritted teeth in a low tone that his mother and sister didn't seem to hear. "Where's dad?"

"He'll be here in a moment," Sho's mother informed.

Sho fidgeted in his seat all the time as they waited for his father and for Jun. He hoped that Jun wouldn't get cold feet and abandon him in this crucial moment of his life. His father arrived around half an hour later; he gave Sho a questioning look when he noticed an empty seat next to Sho. Thankfully, he didn't ask what happened.

The minutes kept passing and Jun still didn't arrive. The food would surely get cold if they kept waiting so much, but Sho's mother had insisted no one would eat until Sho's _girlfriend_ arrived. They talked about Mai's upcoming wedding, already deciding the location for the ceremony, recommending honeymoon destinations, talking about dresses and flowers and wedding cake. Sho didn't pay attention to a word of what they said. He only thought about Jun.

One hour after Sho arrived, the bell finally rang.

Everyone went silent and looked at Sho. "I'll get it," Sho's brother, Shu, said.

"No!" Sho stood up first. "You stay here, I'll get it…"

Sho rushed to the door right away. When he opened it, he found Jun on the other side, looking nervous and a bit startled after hearing the door open. "Thank goodness! I thought you wouldn't come!" Sho complained.

"I'm sorry…" Jun lowered his head. "I-Is everyone already here?"

"Yeah, we were waiting for you," Sho said. Jun just nodded. "Nervous?"

"A lot…"

Sho took Jun's hand. "It'll be okay. Trust me."

They took a deep breath before joining everyone else at the table, hands still joined. Sho cleared his throat to call their attention. Four pairs of eyes stared at them right away.

"Sho, what happened?" Sho's father, as predicted, started. "Why is Matsumoto-kun here? I thought you were going to introduce us to your girlfriend"

"No, I said I'd introduce you to my _partner_ ," Sho clarified. "And… that's precisely what we both came to do here today"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm gay."

Silence. Everyone looked at him with their eyes opened wide.

"I… I didn't know how to tell you before, but I'm tired of lying," Sho continued. "Jun and I have been together for almost one year now. We… we're planning to move in together soon, and maybe get married next summer."

"This is a joke, right?" Sho's father said in a threatening tone. "Are you trying to mock us?"

"It's not a joke, dad," Sho replied. "I love Jun."

"That can't be possible!"

"Why?"

"Because he's a man, Sho!" Sho's father snapped at him.

"I know he's a man." Sho rolled his eyes at him. "So?"

" _So?_ You think this is right, is that what you mean?"

"I don't see anything wrong with loving someone, whether they are male or female," Sho said, making his father snort. "Jun makes me happy. He understands me like no one else does, and he takes care of me!"

Sho's father shook his head.

"Why don't you guys sit?" Sho's mother said, earning a glare from her husband. "So, since when did… _this_ start?"

"If you mean dating, that would be around the time we were shooting Pikanchi Half, right dear?" Sho turned to look at Jun.

"Y-Yes…" Jun mumbled.

"But I've been into him since we were juniors," Sho admitted with a sheepish grin.

"Oh, he was super cute back then!" Mai said. "And I always got the feeling he liked you, oniichan!"

"Hmm, I don't know if he did, but I was crazy about him!" Sho laughed seeing Jun's blushing face. "I only got the guts to actually act out on it after our tenth anniversary as Arashi though."

"I-I did like you back then," Jun mumbled.

"Really!? Why hadn't you told me then?"

"I… I was scared…" Jun bit his lip. "I thought you only liked girls, so…"

"He did like girls," Sho's father noted. "Actually, he had girlfriends. What was the name of that girl, Yuma-chan?"

"Y-Yes," Sho said.

"Ah, she was so nice!" Sho's father said. "I thought she'd be a good _wife_ for you."

"Yeah, but then she went ahead and cheated on me," Sho reminded him. "I didn't want to be with a cheater!"

"So you started dating a man. Oh, I see the logic now!" Sho's father snorted. "You suddenly 'got the guts' to ask Matsumoto-kun out after getting your heart broken by a woman. What a coincidence!"

"What do you mean?"

"It's obvious that you're with him just to run away from your past! You don't like guys!"

"How can you say that!?" Sho snapped. "That's not true!"

"Will you deny that's how it happened then?"

"I admit it was after the breakup," Sho said. "But the fact that I decided to be with him has nothing to do with what happened before. He was there for me, dad! He helped me realize that it wasn't the end of the world, that there was so much more in life than that stupid woman, that I wasn't worthless!"

Sho's voice cracked, but he continued speaking. "I felt like crap, and he helped me get back on my feet and move on. I thought I wouldn't find someone right for me, that no one would ever love me. But he showed me I was wrong. How can I not fall in love with someone like that? He's the best thing that's ever happened to me!"

Sho's father gaped. It seemed that he wanted to say something. Then he shut his mouth and kept quiet for the rest of the evening.

 

Given the way things had gone, Sho couldn't decide whether it had been good or bad. His father had stood up and left right after they were done eating, not saying goodbye to any of them. He didn't look angry, but he wasn't happy either. Perhaps the right way to describe his countenance at the moment was pensive.

"Give him some time. This was… surprising for us, but once he understands your feelings, I'm sure he will accept your relationship," Sho's mother said, smiling at them. "I'm very happy you decided to be honest with us, Sho."

"Thanks, mom."

"You two should come to visit us more often," she added, this time looking straight at Jun. "I know you are very busy, but having dinner with the family every week or so shouldn't be that impossible, right?"

"N-No, we'd be glad to do that!" Jun replied.

"I hope to see you around very soon then!" Sho's mother stood up and hugged Sho. Then she hugged Jun as well before walking away. It seemed she was going to Sho's father's study. They would probably talk about Sho's confession once he was gone.

"I always suspected it, nii-chan! But don't worry, you have my full support!" Mai said between laughs. "Actually, I'm jealous! Your boyfriend is so much hotter than mine!"

Jun blushed at the indirect compliment. Mai put a hand on his arm to get his attention. "Take care of my older brother," she said. Jun just nodded in response.

"Nii-san…" Shu cleared his throat, looking timidly at them. "I umm… I'm very surprised!"

"R-Right…" Sho mumbled. He didn't know what his little brother's reaction would be. But then, Shu hugged him, just like always.

"Welcome to the family, Matsumoto-kun!" Shu patted Jun's shoulder and smiled at them.

Sho and Jun left the house after saying goodbye. Once they were outside, they smiled at each other and walked away with their hands linked. 

Everything would be alright, they were sure.


End file.
